John Frohnmayer to visit OSU for lectures, special course

CORVALLIS - John Frohnmayer, the controversial former chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, will visit Oregon State University later this month for a series of lectures and campus appearances.

An outspoken advocate for the arts and an ardent defender of First Amendment rights, Frohnmayer was appointed by President Bush to chair the NEA in 1989. During his tenure, he became embroiled in controversy over NEA funding of art considered by some to be obscene.

Frohnmayer wrote a book about his experiences in 1993, "Leaving Town Alive: Confessions of an Arts Warrior."

While at Oregon State, Frohnmayer will deliver two free public lectures, both at LaSells Stewart Center, located at 26th Street and Western Boulevard in Corvallis. The first, "Is the First Amendment Yesterday's Lunch?," will begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21.

A second lecture, "Is Tolerance Possible?," will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 23. Receptions will follow both events.

Frohnmayer also will speak at a special class, created in part to take advantage of his visit. The course, "Ethics, Politics and Art," is taught by James Foster, chair of the Department of Political Science at OSU and an expert on The Constitution, and Flo Leibowitz, a professor of philosophy at OSU, and an expert on censorship and the arts. Frohnmayer will visit the class on Oct. 21.

While in Corvallis, he also will meet with students from OSU's University Honors College and from across campus. He also will meet with students from Linn-Benton Community College, Corvallis High School, and Cheldelin Middle School. His presentations all center on the theme, "Censorship, Intolerance and Other Swamp Vermin."

Frohnmayer's appearance at OSU is sponsored by numerous campus and community groups.